The Hearts wish
by dariuscross
Summary: Devastated over the death of Kate Beckett, Richard Castle uses a little magic provided by a little lamp to go back in time. Can he change the future and still have the love he holds most dear?
1. Chapter 1

**I know it's been a while since my last publishing. Some of the reviews for The Acid Slayer that I chose to not approve for public showing were terribly scalding and my confidence was shaken. So I nitpicked at this until I nearly went insane. Read and Review please :D**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, wish I did**

A man stands over a fresh grave, there's no light in his eyes or life in his voice as he speaks to the woman who lies in the grave.

"I was too late... just a half second too late. I'm going to fix this Kate, once and for all"

He looks at the small lamp in his hand and shakes his head

"My first wish, when I was but eight or nine was for my mother to live. There was an accident on stage and the scaffolding had fallen on her, the doctors said she wouldn't live the night so I wished on this lamp that she would make it and she did. My second wish, was when Alexis was born. She was premature and... I've never wished so hard in my life and she pulled through. Now my next wish will be for you, but different than it was with them. I love you, I've always loved you, but I'd rather you be alive with someone else than in the ground"

He checks the inside of his jacket where his silenced sig is then holding up the lamp he strokes it three times, a living eye appearing in it's side

"My third wish, is for my present body to travel back in time to the morning of January 9th, 1999 to this spot in New York City"

He closes his eyes and feels as the time shifts around him, the sensation odd but comforting at the same time. When he opens his eyes his first sight is of the twin towers still standing in the distance, it crosses his mind to warn the government but that would be far too large a change no matter how much he wants to stop it. He takes a deep breath, puts his sunglasses on and heads to get a taxi.

He remembers vividly what Kate had told him she'd spent her last day of joy doing and now he stood fifty feet away watching her with her father. Her nineteen year old self glowing with life and happiness, a stark contrast to the Beckett he knew. His mind stopped on that... knew... in his time she died in his arms but never again. He spent another half hour watching her, letting her laughter wash over him to give him the fortitude to do what he needed to do, once he was as ready as he was going to be he made his way down to the district attorney's office and waited. It was after three before his prey exited the building, Assistant District Attorney William H. Bracken. He sneered and followed the man, watching as he gave the order on his cell phone then walking right up behind him and jabbing him in the ribs with his silenced sig as soon as he hung up

"You don't know me Bracken, but I know you and I know what call you just made. Keep walking and take a right at the next alley"

Bracken is instantly nervous but does what he's told

"I don't know what you're talking about, I was just calling my wife..."

Castle grunts

"Can it Bracken, you were calling Dick Coonan to confirm the hit on Johanna Beckett to cover up your part in the murder of FBI agent Bob Arman and the frame job of Joe Pulgatti"

Once in the alley he gave Bracken a good shove and watched as the man turned around

"I don't know how you know about all of that but I can pay you, I can pay you a lot of money get you a job in any position you want..."

Castle takes his sunglasses off and aims his gun at Bracken

"all the promises in the world wont give me what you've taken from me Bracken. If I were to let you live thirteen years from now you'd hire a hit man and put a bullet through the heart of the woman I love, I'm not letting that happen and in fact I'm saving more lives than I can count today but I only care about one. Goodbye Bracken"

Without another word he unloads two into Bracken's face then standing over him he puts two in his heart. He uses a handkerchief to take his watch, ring and wallet then kick rolls him into a pile of trash and with a few more kicks the body is buried for now. He checks his watch and moves off to his next task.

He stands in the alley where in his future Johanna Beckett died, hanging in the shadows as he stares down at a picture taken of him and Kate at his last birthday party where she'd actually given him a kiss on the cheek that had made his night like no other gift. He focuses on the smile, her smile then pockets his phone and steps out as Johanna starts taking photos

"Mrs. Beckett, you're not safe here"

he said gently as he makes his way over, eyes watching for Coonan knowing they got a little time. She turns and looks at him

"how do I know that it is not you who makes me unsafe? you know my name yet I do not know you"

Castle rubs his face a little

"I don't know how to explain this without sounding like a crazy person, so I will start with things that no one should know. Your husband is Jim Beckett, he is also a lawyer. You have a daughter, Katherine, she's home on Christmas break from Stanford and is supposed to fly back to California tomorrow. You are here because you are investigating the murder of FBI agent Bob Arman because a man named Joe Pulgatti is in jail for his murder when he didn't do it"

He stops because her eyes are huge now

"I came back in time from a future that I could not live with. I have already taken steps that will change it, but you Johanna are key to that change. If I leave now then at a little after nine tonight your husband and daughter will be brought to this very alley to identify your body. I wont allow this, you will live no matter what."

Johanna looked up and down the alley nervous now

"Why would you want to change the future so badly?"

Castle took a deep breath.

"I will explain in more detail later, but for me in this body twelve years from now I hold the woman I love in my arms as she dies from a bullet to the heart. That woman is your daughter Johanna and I would rather live forever without her than go back to my time where she is dead. I just... I can't"

Johanna's eyes are filled with tears at this revelation

"how do I know that you're not just making this up?"

Castle draws out his phone and flips a few pictures to a different one from his birthday where it's him, Alexis and Kate and he has an arm around each of them. He turns the phone so she can see

"This was taken at my last birthday party, we weren't a couple... we didn't... I didn't step up but I still loved her. In my heart I know she loved me too, no one would put up with me as long as she did if she didn't"

Johanna laughs softly at that

"okay, as insane as this is I believe you. what do we do now?"

A voice comes from behind Castle

"You die"

Castle moves at just the right moment so that the knife goes through his jacket and not him, then he turns drawing his gun at the same time. He makes eye contact with Coonan then fires two shots right into his heart and watching without care as he hits the ground

"and that would be the man sent to kill you"

he takes a deep breath then gets his hanky out again

"I know you're a lawyer and this goes against everything you believe in Johanna but we can't call this in. I'm a bit of a doppelganger right now because right at this moment on Broome street my twenty nine year old self is living in a loft, raising his daughter... my daughter"

Johanna tips her head trying to figure out who he is, she stares at the picture on his phone while Castle kicks the body under some trash

"You're Richard Castle..."

he looks up at her and nods

"Yes, Kate told me you were a fan so it doesn't surprise me that you recognize me after all the facts"

he drops the wallet and watch into his jacket pocket with the stuff from Bracken then walks over to her.

"Right now we don't have time to talk, you have dinner with your family tonight. Your nerves are frayed, just fib a little. Tell them someone tried to mug you so a unknown male stepped in so you could escape. Not entirely a lie, the truth is cleaner. Have a nice dinner with your family, see Kate off safely in the morning then meet me at Balto at one pm. I'll try to answer any questions you may have then"

She nods and gives his phone back to him

"alright, but I can't lie to them Rick..."

he pinches the bridge of his nose a moment

"then just say you got hung up while looking over a scene for a case. It's not a lie it's just not detailed"

She studied him a long moment then nodded

"Alright that's a compromise I can make. I'll speak with you again tomorrow at Balto"

They spoke quietly for a few more minutes before she started to leave. She paused mid step, moved back to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then hurried off to dinner with her family. Castle side tripped to the river where one item at a time he pulled cash out of wallets then tossed the wallet into the Hudson, followed by each watch and Bracken's ring.

Once done he had a pocket full of money he could actually use here, but instead of getting himself some food he finds himself across the street from the Italian Restaurant watching Kate with her parents, his heart aching with desire to hold her once more but knowing he can't he forces a few deep breaths then walks down the street, there's another stop he needs to make.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter features the first love scene I've published. It's at the end of the chapter so if you don't like that stuff just skim past it. I've also put it in** ** _italics_** **so it's easier to spot**

This time his wait is outside his own apartment building, he watches as his younger self takes Alexis upstairs then starts walking when he sees Martha come out. He catches up after a block

"Hello Mother"

she jumps and swats him but realizes immediately that something is off

"Richard? Why do you look so much older?"

Castle motioned for her to walk and once they're in the park he answers

"well mother I look older because I am older. I came back in time from an alternate future, to save the lives of the woman I love and her mother"

he stops by a bench and sits down, she sits next to him

"and I suppose you're going to tell me who this woman is so I can meet up with her mother and play the dating game with your younger self am I right?"

Castle laughed at that

"something like that"

He pulls out his cell and shows Martha the same pic he showed Johanna

"Her name is Katherine Houghton Beckett, her mother is Johanna Beckett... a lawyer. I don't know if she'll finish law school in this time or change to criminal justice and police academy like she did in my time. But she is the woman that I would give my life for without a second thought. So what I ask is this Mother... never ever let me sleep with Merideth again, don't let me have any relationship outside of professional with Gina Cowell, and guide my crazy heart to Kate. Black Pawn will try to manufacture a playboy image for me, don't let them. Just keep me the man you raised, goofy hyperactive inquisitive yet kind loving and intelligent"

Martha looks at the photo and how happy her son looks and nods

"I can do that Richard"

she hands the phone back to him with a smile

"I love you mother"

he leans down and gives her a good hug and a kiss on the cheek

"I love you too kiddo"

he gave her a warm smile then stood up and disappeared into the trees trying to figure out what else he needs to do.

By ten pm he finds himself outside the Beckett's house, leaning against a garbage can keeping an eye out in case something unforeseen should pop up. Unbeknownst to him a teenage figure is watching him from the second floor window, her mother behind her on her bed.

"Mom how do you know he isn't some nut job? I mean you of all people..."

Johanna stops her

"Katie you just answered your own question, I'm thorough. He knows things he shouldn't know and he has pictures honey, pictures of you older than you are now"

Kate hugs herself not liking the idea that in another time her mother would be dead right now.

"and he said he loves me?"

that makes Johanna smile a bit

"yes dear and if you were to spend time with this time's Rick Castle he and I are both positive that the same thing would happen with him. Katie when he told me why he came back in time his eyes showed a broken man, a man who had lost his heart and soul. In those moments his eyes were clear windows to his soul and it was clear what he was telling me was true"

Kate chews on her lower lip a long moment before turning

"Well if he's going to stand outside like a guard dog all night I'm going to take him a coffee at least, maybe pick his brain a little"

Johanna shakes her head a bit

"you mean you may as well go pick his brain and give him a little coffee while you're at it?"

Kate shrugs getting her jacket on

"either or. Hey could you try to get a different flight for me to get back? maybe one a few days from now?"

Jo raised her eyebrow but before she could ask Kate was gone.

A few minutes later Castle watched as Kate exited the house with two steaming carry mugs of coffee and crossed the street towards him. No matter how hard he tried not to his eyes got misty and his hands shook, his voice the barest of whispers

"kate..."

Kate heard him and tipped her head as she stopped in front of him, her eyes searching his seeing just how true her Mother's words were

"So, Mom wasn't kidding you really are from the future"

Castle nods as he raises his hand and touches her cheek with those shaking fingers, the shaking stops after a moment of contact and her eyes close

"So... it's true then that the last time you saw me before this..."

Castle takes a deep breath and rests his palm against her cheek

"The last time I saw you alive you were dying in my arms, I told you that I loved you and you took your last breath. I shouldn't be telling you this but... I am anyway. Future you could tell you a few things about my ability to do as I'm told, I apparently missed that day of puppy training"

he chuckled softly and they both looked at the ground, she absently hands him one of the coffees.

"Mom said you have pictures..."

Castle clears his throat and nods getting his phone out and just setting it to the beginning of the album

"just slide your finger across the screen like this"

he shows her then reluctantly takes his hand back and takes a drink of coffee, watching as that adorable little furl forms between her eyebrows as she looks through the pictures

"were we together?"

she said quietly, noting the way they're looking at each other in the photos. Castle shakes his head

"No, we kept missing our chances. When you... when you were shot you were seeing a cardiac surgeon, a real piece of shit"

he subconsciously started to rub an almost healed bruise on his jaw

"I rode with you to the hospital hoping that I was wrong, that you weren't dead and could be saved. You were pronounced dead on arrival. We were all milling around in shock when he attacked me in the waiting room. He punched me in the face then started blaming me for your death. I tried... but I was half a second too late"

She glances at him a long moment then back to the pictures

"why was I with him when it's obvious who I wanted?"

Castle cleared his throat

"in my time, you became a different person after tonight. Johanna was killed in the alley I found her in and you built a wall around yourself so that your heart wouldn't be hurt so gravely again. To put it bluntly you hid from a relationship with me in a relationship with him because you would never cheat on someone you're with so there was never a risk of us... slipping. In fact we'd had a big fight about just that two nights before you were shot, we never had a chance to make up even as friends"

he takes a slow drink of coffee, ignoring the twin tears escaping down his cheeks that Kate very much notices. She wipes them away with her fingers and watches his eyes

"and you're sure that the you of now will feel the same way were we to meet and spend time together?"

Castle nodded a few times

"Yes especially if you get to him... me... him... uh get to my younger self before he makes the mistake of dating his publisher, Gina is a bloodsucker in so many ways. My first marriage ended because I caught Merideth in bed with her director, my second marriage ended when I caught Gina in bed with another up and coming author. By the time I met you I had no true self esteem and covered it with false confidence and bullshit, you saw right through it and wasn't impressed. In fact you wanted to shoot me for the first year but we got past it"

Kate thinks a long moment before asking her next question

"in your time, what do I do for a living that I spend so much time with you?"

Castle bites his lip

"before I answer that Kate, I need to ask what you're thinking about career wise right now"

she lowers the cell phone, the vein on her forehead protruding as she thinks

"I wanted to be a lawyer like my parents but... now that I'm a semester in, it doesn't feel like the right place for me. I'm thinking about the police academy, maybe aiming for homicide detective. Let my parents defend the innocent while I track down the guilty you know?"

Castle smiles at that

"that's what you did in my time too and I shadowed you on the job for a character I loosely based on you. You were the best homicide detective in the nypd, everyone knew of you and respected you. Your funeral was the largest funeral in NYPD history, no joke. You never give up, you never back down, give hell or high water you find justice for the victims of murder and settle for nothing less than the truth"

Kate smiles a bit and nods

"That sounds like me, once I put my mind to something I don't let go"

Castle chuckles deeply

"oh don't I know it"

Kate looks down at the phone again, thinking over what she knows about the theory of time travel

"Do you know when you're going to disappear? I mean, you can't exist for much longer now that you've changed the future"

Castle shrugs

"I suppose that will happen whenever it does, if it does. I'm no expert on the matter"

Kate paused and rubbed her thumb along her lower lip

"Then, lets take a walk"

He gives her an odd look but nods and they start to walk

"Who's the red haired women in the pictures here?"

Castle glances over

"the younger one is my daughter Alexis, at this point in time she's four. She was fourteen when we met. The elder woman is my Mother Martha Rodgers"

Kate blinks a few times

"THE Martha Rodgers, as in the stage actress?"

Castle chuckled

"That would be the one. She eccentric as hell but when the times call for it she can be as serious as a heart attack and far too wise for my own safety"

Kate laughs softly finishing her coffee and tossing the paper cup in a can as they pass it

"she sounds like a character"

Castle nods finishing his and dropping it in the next can they pass

"that puts it lightly but she's a wonderful mother and grandmother, even if she thinks differently from time to time. She raised me as an unwed mother who didn't know who the father of her child was. As you can imagine the world at large didn't take that so well but it wasn't that she was... an easy woman. She was eighteen, in Miami with her acting troupe when an older gentleman walked over and made her swoon. When she woke the next morning he was gone. But she got me out of it and she said it makes the night worth it"

he shrugs a bit and Kate smiles stopping outside a holiday inn

"wait here"

she said softly then walked off before he could even ask, she returns ten minutes later and takes his hand leading him to a room. Castle swallows hard

"Kate, what are we doing?"

she stays quiet till they get into the room. She puts the room key and his phone down by the door then rests her hands on his chest

"For you, it will be what you need for the beginning of closure, for me... it will be a preview of things to come"

without another word she pushes his jacket off his shoulders and down to the floor, then her hands move to his long button down and starts unsnapping buttons. Castle's voice is quiet

"Kate are you sure?"

Kate just nods and pulls his shirt open exposing his broad chest. She moans under her breath as she slides her hands over the expanse of his bare chest. He moves enough to slide his shirt to the floor, then with shaking hands he pushes her jacket off, then grabs her sweater and the tee beneath, meeting her eyes as he pulls them up. She raises her arms up then once they're free she reaches back and unclasps her bra, dropping it on the pile of clothes she takes his hand and presses it to her breast

"Rick, I'm not exactly a virgin here. I know what I'm doing, with whom and why. Just let it happen"

she closes her eyes as his hand begins to caress that breast, his thumb finding her nipple making her gasp. She waits another moment before hooking her other hand around the back of his neck and draws him down for a kiss. It's slow and methodical as he explores her tongue and mouth with the utmost care and passion.

 _They work together as they disrobe one another until they're laid out on the bed with him half atop her, his lips slowly working along her jaw line to a spot behind her ear that makes her arch and moan softly. His fingertips glide feather like along her skin as he makes his way down her neck, then pause at each perfect breast and squeeze ever so slightly making her writhe beneath him. A last he starts to descend her body making her whimper with pleasure, his mouth taking each taught nipple into his mouth and suckling ever so slightly, his tongue flattening over the tips and nipping each making her gasp before slowly kissing down onto her stomach and then finally he adjusts himself until he's facing her wet center, he slides two fingers inside her watching as she arches almost completely, mind ignoring everything else going on. He smiles a little then presses his tongue to her sensitive clit, his fingers thrusting slowly exploring her inner most self for her most pleasurable places. She grasps his hair with one hand, holding his head in place, her hips gently riding his fingers, her voice a whispered moan_

 _"oh god... fuck... so good... don't stop... fuck Rick"_

 _with her whispered words of encouragement he draws her clit into his mouth and tenderly suckles as his tongue caresses, his fingers finding that one spot inside her and focusing on thrusting into it. He can hear her breathing picking up, the pitch of her moans and words raising by the moment until she cries out his name, her back arching as far as it can off the bed yet she can still thrust wildly through her orgasm. He draws his fingers to his mouth cleaning them with a deep moan then slides up her body and kisses her oh so tenderly, their tongues twining in a languid dance for several minutes before he draws back and gazes into her eyes_

 _"It amazes me, even now you're the most beautiful, most extraordinary woman I've ever met"_

 _He gives her one more kiss, she can't think of anything she can say to that so she just returns the kiss with everything she has._

 _When their lips finally part he reaches between them and guides his erection inside her, she arches against him with a loud moan of pleasure. He can't remember ever being so hard, she can't remember ever being filled so completely like he was made to fit her. He tenderly kisses the side of her neck while she has a minute to adjust and then he starts a slow rhythm, each thrust almost pulling out then pressing as deeply as he can. She moves with him in perfect sync, her hands sliding down his back to where she can squeeze his ass, she can already feeel another orgasm building, this is like nothing she has felt before or had before and she wants to relish every passionate moment._

 _Her breaths are coming out in short pleasured pants as she nears her second orgasm of the night, she lets out a needy whimper as his mouth moves back to her breast, his tongue caressing that hardened nub until she crashes around him, her nails digging into his ass hard enough to draw blood as her intense orgasm robs her of her senses. He continues to thrust as she tries to catch her breath but instead ends up moaning his name, his own breathing is labored from how close he is himself but he wants so desperately for her to go off again even though he knows the night is just beginning. He speeds up a little and her moans change pitch_

 _"oh god... you're a god on earth, pure god... you fuck me like I've never been fucked before... don't stop please don't stop"_

 _He moans her name as he lifts his head and speeds up a little more, adding a little more power to each thrust getting a more than positive response he makes it through two more orgasms before he cries out her name and fills her, the sensation itself giving her another orgasm that blows her mind. He wraps his arms around her and rolls them so she's on top, they're still engaged at the hip but they can catch their breaths. After a few minute Kate sits up and starts rolling her hips against him, supporting herself with her hands splayed across his chest he moans deeply as he hardens inside her. She moans and almost has an orgasm from that sensation alone, but after a few thrusts her eyes roll back in her head from pleasure._


	3. Chapter 3

They spend all night and well into the morning exploring each other and various positions until it's almost time to meet her Mom, they kiss a slow passionate kiss once he gets his jacket on

"if you want me to come back I can after I talk with your mother"

Kate bites her lip, her body aching with desire at the thought so she just nods

"alright I'll get a bath while you do that, see you in a little while"

She gives him one more kiss on the lips then heads into the bathroom. He watches her, a part of him still in shock over what has happened the last twelve hours but not arguing the matter he heads off to meet Johanna at the Balto statue. He smiles seeing her as he walks up, he checks the time and he's five minutes early so he makes his way over and sits next to her.

"good afternoon Johanna"

she smirks at him and nods, not picking on him about Kate's absence

"Good afternoon Rick, so... tell me what I need to know to clear Joe Pulgatti"

Castle lets his hands dangle between his knees

"around the time that Arman was killed three police officers were kidnapping mobsters, roughing them up, then making the various families pay to get them back. Two veteran homicide detectives and a rookie so green he's barely out of the pumpkin patch. These men are John Raglan, Gary McCallister and Roy Montgomery. Roy is where you'll get your confession. Like I said he was green and he worshiped Raglan and McCallister, until the night Arman was shot they had him convinced that they were doing good. Then they went to nab Pulgatti, they were barely out of the van when Arman stepped out into the alley unexpectedly. Roy drew from instinct, then Arman grabbed the gun and when he yanked the gun fired. After that Roy committed his life to his growing family and being the best cop he could be. Your best bet is to offer him immunity and anonymity so his job is protected and his family"

She listens to it all and nods thoughtfully

"That actually sounds like a fairly good plan Rick, you sure you aren't a lawyer?"

Castle laughs softly

"No I just spent three years following the best homicide detective in the NYPD and learned some stuff"

That gets a full smile from Johanna

"Guess she's a good teacher then?"

Castle nods a few times

"she's extraordinary at everything she does Johanna, truly"

At that she takes his hand and squeezes

"anything else you want me to know?"

Castle thinks a long moment

"Buy stock in microsoft, amazon and starbucks then sell them in August 2001, you'll have more money than you could spend in a lifetime"

Johanna laughs heartily at that then gives him a shove

"get yourself back to my daughter before she comes looking for you"

Castle gets a full on deer in headlights expression

"relax, I'm sure you'll work things out so this isn't too weird"

Castle clears his throat

"I hope so Johanna, truly"

He kisses her cheek with a smile then stands up and walks towards the hotel, lamp in his hand he converses with it quietly about what is possible and what isn't, what happens to him and whatnot. By the time he gets back to the hotel room he has a plan, but before he can say two words he's already on his back, his plan forgotten as they begin round nine.

An hour later they lay cuddling in bed, her head resting on his shoulder as she traces patterns on his chest with her nail. He kisses the top of her head softly before speaking

"I have a plan on how to work out there being two of me here"

She props up on one elbow and raises a curious eyebrow, he laughs softly

"Let me get my jacket"

he moves just enough to snag his jacket then he pulls out the small lamp and moves his arm back around Kate. He strokes the side of the lamp three times and smiles as the eye opens, even as Kate's jaw drops

"okay Eugene, explain to Kate the plan we've come up with"

the eye narrows at him then in a blink a short man appears sitting cross legged and hovering over the bed

"I do so hate it when you make me come out of the lamp Richard but oh well... are you alright Kate?"

Richard and Eugene both look at Kate. She blinks a few times, rubs her eyes a bit then chuckles

"a genie, okay, this will take some getting used to"

Eugene chuckles

"Yes I hear that alot, the difference between myself and other genies is I give as many wishes as I decide to give out. Richard hasn't pissed me off yet even though he found me when he was eight and he reserves his wishes for things that are truly important to his heart. It doesn't hurt that he polishes my lamp twice a year. Anyway, the plan"

Kate stares at him for the long winded speech then rests her head down on Castle's shoulder

"Okay basically I'm going to take this Richard's memories and combine them with the Richard that is here's memories. The only thing he has asked me to remove memory wise are large scale events that he'd want to try and prevent that he cannot without irreparably altering the future of mankind. He'll remember his other life as well as this one, he'll just get the benefit of being in a twenty eight year old body instead of a forty year old one"

Castle glares at Eugene

"What? you didn't tell her the body you're in is forty?"

Castle grunts

"it hasn't mattered until now Eugene"

The genie put his feet down on the floor and chuckled

"Well my apologies Richard. Anyway the other you will be here in about two minutes so Kate you'll be able to explore his younger body in about five minutes"

He gave her a warm smile then leaned on the wall to wait. Castle reached up and caressed her cheek when she lifted up over her

"maybe my twenty eight year old self can handle some of those positions this one didn't appreciate"

he offered her a broad grin which she matched

"quite possibly Rick, see you in a few minutes?"

Castle nodded then drew her in for a brief but tender kiss before letting her go. She winks at him then walks nude as sin into the bathroom to catch another quick shower.

When she returns fifteen minutes later the only Rick there is the younger one and he grins at her

"Hey, here I am I suppose. We'll have to take this to my loft here in a few hours but for now..."

he extends his hand to her, her eyes are huge as they take in the tight young body in front of her. She slowly licks her lips as she takes his hand

"merry belated Christmas to me..."

that makes Castle blush but it only lasts a few moments before he is once again tackled onto the bed for a thorough exploration. A little while later Castle is sitting up in the bed with Kate straddling his hips with her head on his shoulder, both of them dressed they just hold each other

"So, I suppose since I'm not going to disappear I should ask. Is it a safe assumption to say that we are now dating exclusively?"

he grins at her and when she lifts her head she grins back

"We better be, my best friend is training to be a medical examiner. She can kill you and make it look like an accident"

Castle kisses her lips lingeringly a moment

"Yes, I remember Lanie from my time. She made that threat to me many many times and she will probably make it here just as many"

He rests his forehead against hers and closes his eyes.

"you ready to head over to see my place?"

Kate smooths her hand over his chest then nods

"We probably should, you do have a daughter after all"

she gave him a quick chaste kiss then got herself up and into her jacket, Castle follows suit then grabs the hotel keys

"Just let me drop these off and square us up then we'll take a cab over"

she laced their fingers and she joined him in the office to get everything tied up then fourty minutes later they arrive at the loft.

"Alexis should be down for her nap so it should be pretty quiet if you want to call and check in at home so your father doesn't start plotting ways to torture me like all fathers do"

He says with a smirk as he opens the loft door and ushers them inside. It's nice and quiet except for the sounds of Martha rehearsing in her room. Castle puts their coats in the closet while Kate makes her way over to the phone.

"Hey Mom, I figured I'd check in and let you know I'm alright"

she blushes hotly

"mom! yes we've been... it's a bit hard to explain what's going on right now I'll fill you in at home"

he watches as her eyes go wide

"protection? um... yeah we kinda..."

she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead

"enough times that one of us would have to be infertile Mom so uh yeah... go ahead and cancel my flight"

she laughs softly not nearly as upset as the old Kate would've been, Castle's just standing there like a statue his jaw dropped as he stares at his groin mentally scolding it

"We'll see what February brings Mom, don't start maxing out the credit cards yet. Love you too Mom"

she hangs up and smirks at Castle

"we forgot about something Rick"

he nodded a few times

"Yeah I got that from what I overheard. you mad?"

she shook her head and walked over to him

"I'll have to time police academy around it but we'll make it work. After all you do have a stay at home job"

She gives him a quick chaste kiss that quickly evolves into a slow, lazy, steamy kiss as they stand in the middle of the living room floor just holding each other as they kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

When the kiss breaks Kate smiles as she tucks her face into the side of Castle's neck, he echos her smile and just holds her close with his eyes closed. They somehow manage to not react when Hurricane Martha swoops down the stairs

"Richard dear I'm glad you're finally home! Oh! This must be the Katherine your older self told me about, welcome dear!"

Castle laughs softly as Kate breaks away and offers her hand to Martha

"A pleasure to meet you Ms. Rodgers"

Martha lightly swatted her hand and pulled her in for a tight hug

"Please call me Martha dear and the pleasure is mine with as happy as my son looks"

Kate blinks, a little startled but returns the enthusiastic hug before returning to Castle's arms when she lets go

"as I was saying dears, I just got a call from my director and they're calling for an early dress rehearsal because the lead actor has an AA meeting later so"

she waves her hand in that 'you know how it goes' manner then swoops to the door gathering her purse

"Alexis is down for her nap and shouldn't be up for another hour or two, don't do anything I wouldn't do"

she said all too perkily then she disappears out the door. Castle chuckles

"says the queen of the over fifty walk of shame. C'mon I'll show you round the downstairs"

he gives her one of his brilliant broad grins then takes her hand leading her around the kitchen, then the living room, his office, then his bedroom/bathroom. He relaxes against the headboard as she explores the room, finding Bobba Fett in the bathroom all too amusing and falling in love with his bathtub on sight. She shuts the light out as she exits the bathroom then crawls up the length of the bed till she can sit next to him and tuck into his side

"So this is how the semi rich and famous live hmm?"

he leans down and kisses her softly

"yeah it is, it's how the stupidly rich and famous lived too in my case. I was still here after twenty six best sellers. It's comfortable, safe for my daughter and has a place for Mother when she's uh... between men"

he rolls his eyes a bit with an indicative small cough.

"you make me so glad my parents are deliriously happy together"

she laughs resting her head on his shoulder again

"I'm glad they are too Kate, in todays world it's a rare thing and always a treasure to behold. I should have all three of you over for dinner tonight so we can fill both your parents in on what's gone on and introduce them to Alexis, who you'll meet here pretty soon"

Kate nods

"Sounds like a plan, what time?"

Castle thinks about that, checks his watch

"seven sound good?"

Kate nods with a grin as she texts the information with address to her Mom.

"It's strange to think that yesterday I was single and planning to fly back to stanford and you..."

she tips her head, heart hurting for the pain he felt when she first met him

"you were mourning my death and a broken man, yet here we are. It feels like we're going fast but... the pictures you showed me of me twelve years from now in your timeline... the look in my eyes told me enough to not worry about how fast we go. I'm just going to let it happen without fighting it. How bout you?"

Castle leans down and kisses her a few times

"Sounds good to me"

After about five minutes of cuddling in silence Castle gets the lamp out of his pocket and looks at it, after another moment he brushes it three times and looks at the eye

"Could you pop out here for a minute Eugene? I have a question"

Kate tips her head looking up at him with a questioning brow and the eye narrows at him before Eugene appears

"This better be good Richard, twice in one day? In one year even?"

Castle chuckles a little

"Yes it is Eugene"

He's quiet a moment, not fully believing he's going to be asking this

"In two timelines now Merideth has been useless if not abusive as a mother, only using Alexis for P.R. and a shopping buddy. I know she didn't improve in the timeline I left... does she get any better in this one?"

Eugene watches him as he asks his question then sighs

"No Richard, the only thing Merideth serves in this or any timeline is to give poor Alexis poor self esteem when it comes to her mother"

Castle closes his eyes a moment

"So it would be safe to say that were I to wish for Merideth to stay away permanently it would only be good for Alexis, myself, Kate and Mother?"

Eugene sees where he's going with this, as does Kate. Eugene scans a future with Merideth out of the picture then nods

"Indeed Richard, as much as it pains me to say any mother should stay away from their child Merideth's absence in Alexis's life would only be an honest benefit"

Castle rests the lamp on his leg and rubs his face a bit

"Then lets do it. I'll of course need a full medical background for Merideth's side of the family and a family history in case Alexis gets an assignment on genealogy or something. But unless we call her ourselves, keep her away. My baby's happiness is more important than that bitches"

Eugene nods and with a twirl of his finger the documents requested are on his desk and Merideth's mind has been implanted.

"anything else Richard?"

Castle rests his head back

"I don't know Eugene, it might be a busy year for us with this whole time changing body melding thing. I know you can't make stuff for yourself in the lamp, is there anything you'd like to make yourself more comfortable? I feel bad making you come out so much and I don't want to make you disappear on me. You've been a good friend over the years even if I just had you come out for someone to confide in and give me council"

Both Eugene and Kate smile again and Eugene starts to think

"Well as entertaining as it is to talk to the other genies I do get rather bored at times. Maybe a large stock of the books of today? Maybe one of those laptop computers the other genies have gotten their masters to get them with a ample supply of games?"

Castle smiles at that

"Of course Eugene, anything you'd like and don't be afraid to pop out of the lamp at appropriate times to ask for things, even if you just want to stretch your legs or chit chat or even watch the tv. I give you the freedom to pop out and peruse the house and it's contents like any other member of the family okay?"

Eugene almost looks like he might cry he's so touched

"Thank you Richard, I may just do that. Just remember to put the lamp on a shelf in the office or living room so I don't have to wait for you two to finish"

Castle snorts

"yeah like I'd leave you in here after I caught you peeking when I was in high school and you're welcome Eugene"

Eugene just smiles and shifts back into the lamp as Castle sets it on the nightstand for the moment

"Well that handles the wicked bitch of the west"

He settles his cheek against the top of her head and now it's her turn to think and ponder.

About ten minutes later she finally speaks

"tell me Rick, what makes Merideth such a terrible mother that you and Eugene think Alexis is better without her?"

Castle contemplates how to answer this question then sighs

"I best start at the beginning to answer that fully. I met Merideth a few months after my college sweetheart Kyra broke up with me by meeting me at the airport, saying it was over, then without giving me a chance to ask why she boarded a plane to France and I never heard from her again. I was twenty one, devastated and threw myself into the party scene. Doing what a drunken college student... well male student does. Then mother met Merideth and at first she liked her so she introduced us. The relationship was sexual and nothing but. In heinsight I'm not even sure we liked each other most of the time. But even though we used condoms and birth control she got pregnant with Alexis and I chose to do the right thing and we got married thinking love would form over the baby. Well I couldn't have been more wrong if I had predicted she'd turn into Princess Leia. It stayed sexually charged until she was seven months pregnant and started having problems carrying. Once they put her on mandatory bed rest things went bad. We argued constantly for the next month, I was living in the guest bedroom but was attributing it to hormones like the ignorant male I was. She went into labor a month early and we would have lost Alexis if it wasn't for Eugene. Merideth did as little as she had to with Alexis, breast fed for two months then put Alexis on the bottle and started partying again. When I wouldn't go out with her I'm pretty sure that's when the affairs started but I'll never know for sure. When Alexis was six month old I made the mistake of leaving her with Merideth for the day while I had endless meetings with my publisher. I came home not only to find Alexis unfed, unchanged and screaming in the nursery but Merideth in the bedroom having sex with her director"

Kate had been listening to all of this in silence then gasped at this revelation, Castle swallowed before continuing

"I kicked her out without hesitation. Told her to pack her shit and go, by nightfall she was on a plane to California with her director. I got the divorce papers a few days later giving me full custody of Alexis. After that started the broken promises... when Alexis was too young for it to bother her I didn't mind so much, it was when the broken promises led to a sobbing toddler that it started to anger me. Promising her that she'd come for her birthday, or Christmas, or even just a visit then cancelling at the last minute or just not showing up at all. She's seen her in person maybe twice since she left and when she does show up she makes it out like she loves Alexis oh so much and then cuts out early without even saying goodbye. In my other timeline the pattern didn't change, she showed up more when Alexis was old enough to take shopping but she always left after the shopping was too boring for Alexis. She'd only even mention she had a daughter out west when it was good press. She's pathetic as a mother, simple as that"

It took a few minutes for Kate to wrap her brain around what she'd just heard but at last she answered simply

"you did the right thing then Rick"

Castle smiled, happy to have her support and it showed.

After a few more minutes Kate shifted so she was straddling Castle's lap with her arms around his neck, her head tipped to the side as she regarded the man she was dating

"You're a good man Rick, a good father. You didn't deserve what Kyra and then Merideth did to you. But in the end I can't complain because it left you available for me to find"

She smiled that warm affectionate smile of hers and within seconds his smile mirrored hers

"I suppose that's a good way to look at it. The zig zaggy road that led to you"

She nodded at that then leaned her head forward and kisses his lips softly, it only taking moments for the kiss to grow into a slow lazy one filled with growing affection on her part and deep love on his. Neither try to take it further, they know they don't have time. So they settle for what they do have time for, some slow meaningful making out. After a few minutes they unknowingly have an audience. Alexis had wandered into the bedroom and sat on the floor watching. Normally she'd cover her eyes but she's too excited at the prospect of having a mommy that she doesn't this time. When they break the kiss and get lost in each others eyes Alexis piped up perkily

"Did you get me a mommy daddy?"

They both turn their heads at Alexis and laugh softly. Kate moves off his lap to next to him once more, Alexis taking that as a cue to climb up into her Daddy's lap. Castle got her settled before speaking

"Well pumpkin that's up to Kate and she's only just met you"

Alexis looks up at her daddy with oddly understanding eyes then looks at Kate turning on the doe eyes of a wanting child in combo with her father's eyes and Kate is instantly sunk

"I'd love to be your mommy Alexis as I plan on being with your daddy for a long long time if not forever"

Alexis cheers and launches into Kate's lap, cuddling up and snuggling her. Castle grins watching them

"approval of the four year old? check"

he quips as Kate gazes down at the four year old with a feeling of instant love and awe

"somehow I don't think that was ever in question Rick"

Castle shrugs

"yeah she was fond of you quick in the other timeline too but she was much older too. There were a few periods where she didn't like you but those were after we'd had a fight regarding some of your emotional problems that she didn't really understand and she got over it pretty quickly"

She looks up at him smoothing her hand over Alexis's hair

"I can only imagine what I would've been like if I had lost my Mom like that, I'm actually in awe that you were able to get through to me in your time line even if it did take years"

Castle shrugged a bit

"It wasn't easy and there were times that it felt hopeless, I did try to give up once when you were dating a fellow cop that liked to flaunt the relationship in front of me but you were too far into my heart for it to work and I came back, I always did."

Beckett smiled at him and moved just enough to give him a soft kiss

"I'm glad you did. Now, shall we go play with this little one till we have to prepare for dinner?"

Castle grinned broadly at her and nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

That evening after dinner and after Alexis had gone to bed they all sit around the dining room table. Castle, Beckett, Jim, Johanna, Martha and Lanie who stopped by the Beckett's unexpectedly so Castle decided to involve her. Jim and Lanie are looking at the pictures on the future phone while Castle explains what's occurred.

"I know the whole thing sounds pretty unbelievable, really I do, but it's the truth. When I had Eugene meld old me and young me I had him remove the large scale world effecting events that old me had experienced but kept everything else in case there's something I'm forgetting to do. Outside of that the only real reason for this meeting is to explain why I'm young again"

Castle chuckles a bit, Beckett's leaning into his side listening, Martha and Johanna are just smiling that happy mother grin. Jim finally speaks up

"So, let me get this straight. In your time my Katie had been shot, you held her as she died?"

Castle's eyes dim down to a haunted grey filled with pain and regret, his voice reflecting it

"Yes, the sniper's aim was precise and there was nothing I could do..."

Jim listens and watches him with a frown, his face unreadable though Johanna looks like she wants to slap him

"and over her grave you swore to fix it?"

Castle just nods silently, Beckett's hand now rubbing over his chest to comfort him.

"So you used a genie... to come back in time to kill the kingpin, save my wife by killing the assassin, then seduced my nineteen year old daughter with this tale?"

Castle nods until the last one then his mouth hangs open in shock. This time it's Johanna that speaks up only just beating a now pissed Kate

"Jim! It was Katie's decision to go outside and interrogate him and Katie's decision to take the discussion to a more private place and from what I understand it was Katie who made the first move in their present relationship. Rick, until Katie staked a claim, was too heartbroken and hurt to seduce a ham sandwich let alone our strong minded willful daughter"

Jim frowns deeply but bows his head thoroughly chastised by his wife. Beckett's ire isn't cooled however

"He also left it up to ME if I wanted to be Mom to Alexis and has checked and double checked every step of our relationship to make sure it's what I want. With me being Alexis's mom now I'm probably going to start moving my stuff here little bits at a time and wont be home much since this will be my home so you need to get used to it and soon Dad"

Castle looks pleasantly surprised, Jim's head shoots up and his mouth opens to say something only to snap shut at a glare from both Johanna and Martha. Lanie finally speaks up

"Well girl this is all a little X-files for me but after looking at these pictures all I can say is I'm so happy for you. Not only are you getting a good man but he's loaded too!"

Beckett blushes

"Lanie!"

Lanie does her best to look innocent

"What? I did say good man first, loaded is just a perk"

Beckett rolls her eyes and just snuggles into Rick's side before Castle starts talking

"In any case that's what's going on. As Kate mentioned earlier she wants to enroll in the police academy and since I had Eugene pick up my next fifteen books in manuscript form from the other timeline I think I'll enroll with her and list myself as reservist after graduation so I'm only called in for emergency things. Seems like it'd be something we could do together"

He grins down at Beckett who's grinning like a loon at him.

"and who is going to be watching Alexis while you're in classes Richard?"

Martha asks with a raised eyebrow. Castle raises one back at her

"Well Mother, given you live here rent free and pay for nothing not even the expensive wine you drink I was figuring it would be your job"

She gives him a dirty look and Johanna speaks up with a soft laugh

"Well since she'll pretty much be our granddaughter I'm sure there will be days we can take her too. Once Katie gets her stuff moved here we can turn her room into one for Alexis so she can sleep over sometimes too"

Castle smiles warmly at that

"Thank you Johanna"

She waves a dismissive hand and gets stood up

"Well Jim and I need to get moving, work in the morning and it's getting late"

She moves over and gives Castle and Beckett both hugs and kisses on the cheek, Jim shakes Castle's hand and hugs Beckett and before long it's just Lanie for guests. Castle gives Beckett a soft kiss

"I'll let you visit with Lanie while I get the dishes done, no doubt she wants to pick your brain and girl talk. You can use the office or the bedroom or wherever"

He gives her another kiss then starts gathering the dishes. Beckett giggles then leads Lanie into the office for girl talk.

Lanie and Beckett walk into the office closing the door behind them, Lanie grins at her friend as she flops onto the couch.

"So how you handling all of this Kate? I mean this is some real weird stuff"

Beckett made her way over and flopped next to her

"you know, for some reason it hasn't felt weird at all. When Mom first told me what happened I didn't believe her, I mean really a time traveling Richard Castle saved her life? But after I thought a bit about who Mom is I started leaning to believe her. So I decided to take him some coffee since he was guarding us in case something unexpected happened. He showed me the pictures and talked about what had happened and why he had come. His eyes were like windows Lanie, there's no way a person can fake the kind of pain and anguish I saw in his eyes. I looked at the picture I had up on the screen and it was obvious how much I loved him in that picture so I figured even though I wasn't there yet, why wait. So I took him to a motel and jumped him even though his body was like forty and it was a-maz-ing Lanie and it only got better each time. Then when Eugene melded the two bodies... I have no words that would do it justice. Lets just say I'm ruined for all men for eternity, he's a god I swear"

Lanie giggled at it all then leaned back against the arm of the couch

"I didn't catch why he came back in the story he told tonight, just that you'd died, I was distracted by the pictures on that nifty little phone of his. What was his reason?"

Beckett cleared her throat a bit

"apparently I was hiding in a relationship with some cardiac surgeon so even though we were in love with each other we weren't together. My captain had died and while giving his eulogy I was shot in the chest. He said the last thing he said to me was he loved me and then I died in his arms. After the burial he promised me he'd fix it and here he is"

Lanie looks stricken by the time she finishes, tears soaking her cheeks. It takes her a moment to find her voice

"oh my god... I can't imagine how that had to feel, poor Rick"

she looks down a moment before wiping her cheeks

"but he kept his promise right? he fixed it and you're together now"

Beckett had been thinking the same things as her friend spoke. She raised her eyes and smiled

"That's right and I'm keeping him even if I have to kill his publisher and have you hide the cause of death"

Lanie raised her eyebrow

"Gina's been trying to pick him up since his divorce I guess. It's only been twenty four hours since the relationship started and she's called seven times. I'm going to talk to him about making the relationship public even with the grief it'll bring me, hopefully she'll lay off"

Lanie's entire face is surprised as she looks at Beckett

"wow twenty four hours and you're already possessive, I wonder what a month will bring"

Beckett clears her throat a bit

"probably a positive pregnancy test, I've lost count of how many times that we've... and uh... we forgot protection so needless to say one of us would have to be infertile"

Lanie's jaw drops and she stares silently at Beckett for several minutes before speaking

"wow girl, just... wow"

Beckett smiles impishly

"I know right?"

She then leans over and starts giving her best friend more details about the sex side of things, bowling her over and then some for the next hour.

Once Lanie left it was just Castle and Beckett again and they wasted no time moving into one anothers arms. He held her close in an adoring hug, her head resting on his shoulder. His voice was barely above a whisper when he pressed his cheek to the top of her head

"you ready to retire to the bedroom?"

Beckett's lips spread into that glorious grin as she stepped away from him and walked towards the bedroom, a lot more sway in her hips than usual. Castle watched transfixed for several seconds before he practically ran after her. Once in the bedroom he locked the door knowing Martha is just upstairs and she just doesn't knock, he turns and finds Beckett already naked, laying on her side propped up on one elbow. He grins at the sight and removes his own clothes so fast he's sure he ripped them. Once clear of clothes he moves onto the bed with her and his mouth instantly goes to her firm breasts, teasing each until the nipples are tight pebbles and she's writhing beneath him again then he kisses her passionately and leads them into another full night of pure pleasure.


	6. Chapter 6

Two months later Beckett is definitely pregnant so her and Castle enrolled in NYU taking the exact same classes so they don't really spend any time apart, not that they want to, and they can work together on homework. Castle gets brownie points with one of the professors when he raises his hand mid lecture and reminds the professor of the change in the law that he was discussing that had taken place only this past election, which made Beckett oddly proud of her boyfriend.

By the time June had arrived they'd both aced all their classes and were more than ready for summer vacation. Castle sat on the couch lengthwise with Beckett between his legs laying back against him, his hand rubbing small circles on her growing belly

"It's still so hard to believe there's two in there..."

Beckett smiled and rested her hand over his

"yeah it is, but we did technically supply enough materials for a dozen so I'm glad it's just two"

Castle laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"So true so true. So I was thinking that maybe we could head up to the Hampton's for the summer. Mother and Alexis would join us when she finishes her tour then maybe we can invite your parents up a few times for weeks or weekends. What do you think?"

Beckett thought about it for a minute before smiling

"Throw in having Lanie come up for a few weeks after we get some alone time and I'm sold"

Castle grins at that

"your wish is my command"

he said cheekily then tipped her face up and kissed her lips softly a few times

"We'll pack tonight and head out in the morning"

Beckett starts rubbing her hands over his arms gently

"It's hard to believe that you came into my life a mere six months ago. Does your other life still plague you?"

Castle had to think about that for a few minutes before answering

"some of the memories do, like you dying but most of the memories that go through my mind are happy ones. But my other life doesn't cross my mind much anymore, this life is so much better"

he kisses the top of her head for emphasis

"I spend most of my thoughts making new memories, with you and our family"

Beckett can't help but smile at that, her own thoughts drifting so she doesn't notice Castle shifting to get something out of his pocket

"Kate, you there?"

She's brought back to reality with that and smiles

"yeah, I was just thinking about the babies again"

Castle smiles at that then looks at his palm

"I was going to wait till we got to the Hamptons but I'm far too impatient for it"

he cleared his throat and slipped out from behind her making her sit up. Once free he slips down onto one knee thinking

"in my other life I loved you and I didn't think it was possible to love you more than I did. But then I came to this life and we're together and I learned just how wrong I was. These past months I've found that each day my love for you grows as steadily as our children do in your womb"

he pauses to think another moment, Beckett's eyes are filled with tears

"I wondered once if it was because my other life that I loved you now and my answer was immediate and clear. No, I don't love you because of her I love you because of you. Though you share a name, face and many other things there are also many differences. I find myself knowing that even if I could go back and find her alive, I wouldn't because the woman I love most is right here in front of me. So I humbly ask, from the depth of my soul, Katherine Houghton Beckett will you marry me?"

the words said he holds up a ring that he knows will be on a chain soon. It's a smooth platinum ring with three two carat diamonds inset into the metal. Beckett barely sees it before she leans forward and kisses him passionately, grinning as she pulls back

"yes! yes! Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle I will marry you"

he grins broadly at her and slides the ring onto her finger then squeezes her hand

"I'll go get the sparkling cider, you send the photo I know you'll take the second I pass the couch"

He gives her another kiss, gets a swat on his ass when he stands up, then sure enough as soon as he's in the kitchen a picture is taken and sent to everyone she knows.


	7. Epilogue

Six months later Castle stood silently in the darkened room of the twins nursery. One shoulder leaned against the wall he gazed adoringly at his sleeping children. It had taken them months to finally agree on names for their bundles of joy. He got to name the boy, she got to name the girl was their compromise and they'd work together on middle names. So laying before him in their crib lay Cosmo James Castle and Chloe Johanna Castle.

He'd left his wife sleeping downstairs when he went up to check on the twins. After everything that he'd been through in his other life, his dreams had finally come true. Just not in the traditional way.

They'd discovered within weeks of their birth that Eugene had decided to help with the babies at night when he noticed Castle and Beckett both looking like zombies. He almost never went back into his lamp these days, instead taking a room upstairs like any other member of the family.

Of course they also had Martha with them, who helped out mostly during the day but everyone had agreed that with twins any help was appreciated help. Beckett routinely got to see how Castle had turned out so well. Martha would turn off her diva persona around the kids and just be the doting grandmother that she was. The difference was startling at first for Beckett, but she adapted quickly.

Johanna and Jim were also frequent visitors, never going more than two days without coming to see the grand kids. Their constant involvement always made him grin a silly grin given how things were in his original timeline with Johanna dead, both Jim and Beckett haunted.

He so rarely thought of his old life anymore, usually only when he was musing over how wonderful his life was now. He'd had a great life in his old timeline, but this life was infinitely better in his mind. He was so in love he didn't know his head from his heels and she loved him just as much. He couldn't ask for more

He pushed off the wall when little Cosmo started fussing a little, plunking a little red lightsaber pacifier into his mouth silencing him. Castle gently rubbed the little boys tummy till he was sure he was out, then eased the blue lightsaber pacifier into Chloes mouth before she could stir.

"sleep well my little angels"

He said in a whisper before covering them up and slipping out of the nursery. On the way down the hall he stopped to check on Alexis, who was sleeping peacefully in her room without a worry in the world. The smile on his face grew a bit watching her, but he kept it short so he could get some more sleep.

Everything quiet he crept back down the stairs, through his office and into the bedroom he shared with his wife. She appeared to be sound asleep. So he quietly took off his robe so he was again down to his boxers, then carefully slid into bed with her. She rolled over as soon as he got the covers over himself, her voice quiet.

"Watching them sleep again?"

Castle chuckled moving his arm around her and pulling her so she's nuzzled against his shoulder

"Yeah, I can't help it. They're just so perfect"

He tenderly kisses Becketts forehead and snuggles up to her. Her voice is drifting as she starts to doze

"Yes they are, our beautiful little Castle babies"

He pressed his cheek to the top of her head, his eyes closing letting her have the last word. He did like the sound of that though. Little Castle babies, he'd need to have some custom onesies made with that on them. With that in mind, he followed his wife to dreamland to get some rest before the inevitable start of another blissfully busy day.


End file.
